What Is This Really About?

We’re diving into a big misconception in education - personalised learning programs.

Not the buzzword-y kind where students log in, data gets sucked up like a vacuum,
and an algorithm serves them bite-sized tasks based on what it "thinks" they need.
Nope. I'm talking about what real personalised learning should look like - and why it’s not about feeding students into a data machine.

What’s Wrong with the Typical Approach?

You’ve probably heard this pitch:
“Students log in. The program adjusts to their strengths and weaknesses. Data drives improvement!”

Sounds great—until you realise the sticky side of this model: data collection and privacy risks.
Education departments and AI platforms are some of the biggest collectors of private data.
And yes, data breaches happen. These systems aren’t as secure as you think!

So, What’s the Alternative?

1. Helping Students Learn Without Data Collection

Let’s cut to the chase: if your goal is actual student learning, you don’t need to hoard data. FULL STOP.

Here’s the deal: trust your students. Show them how to evaluate their own work.
Be their guide - the active guide on the side - and model best practices for interacting with AI.
Over time, they’ll figure it out.
They’ll start asking sharper questions, tracking their progress, and owning their learning journey.

Here’s where it gets exciting: this approach works. It builds students into self-reliant, critical thinkers.

No logins. No privacy risks. Just pure, student-driven learning.

2. The Problem with Data Obsession

Let’s address the elephant in the room:

“But we need the data to improve the AI!”
“Every interaction will be recorded and analysed for better results.”

Here’s the thing - even platforms like ChatGPT don’t collect your data by default.
Unless you give explicit permission, it’s one-and-done: your input is processed, a response is generated, and then it’s gone.

If OpenAI can do it, why can’t we? Well we can!

3. Real Personalisation Without Data Harvesting

Want to personalise learning? Let students lead.
Ask them to copy and paste chat transcripts or screenshots of their progress.
It’s simple, effective, and avoids privacy issues entirely.

Plus, when students evaluate their own work, they start to understand their own strengths and weaknesses.
With some guidance, they’ll take over the reins, freeing up teachers to focus on the conversations face-to-fact with students that matter.

What Does GREAT Personalised Learning Look Like?

A Real-World Example

I’ve run programs like this in schools.
One or two days a week, students take charge of their learning. Attendance? Perfect.
They don’t want to miss these days—they’re so engaged they’ll even show up sick (don’t worry, I send them home).

This approach works because it starts early. From kindergarten, you can train students to evaluate their progress.
By Year 5 or 6, they’re pros at directing their learning, following their interests, and building lifelong learning habits.

Why This Matters

The goal isn’t just academic success - it’s creating independent, curious learners who can:

Ask great questions.
Assess their own work.
Use AI as a tool - not a crutch.

The Wrap Up

REAL personalised learning doesn’t rely on logins, algorithms, or mountains of data.
It’s about empowering students to take charge of their education, one thoughtful question at a time.
If you’re as excited about this vision as I am, drop your thoughts in the comments, hit like add a comment,
and let's get in touch and work on this together. Check out my AI Consultancy WebPage

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